The international firework festival (April 29-30) is coming, but many tourists cannot book rooms in Da nang because of room shortage and the prices have pushed up by 2-3 times.

Hotels along the Han River are fully occupied.

Two weeks before the event, Ms. Lan from Hanoi called a hotel near My Khe beach and was informed that the lowest price was VND1.5 million ($72) per room during the festival, which is double the normal price.

“We cannot book air tickets to Da Nang so we planed to go there by car. But perhaps we will have to change our plan because hotels in the center quoted at least VND2 million ($100)/night, while hotels that are far from the center also quoted at least VND1.5 million per night,” Lan says.

Mr. Nam, also from Hanoi, searched for hotel information in Da nang during the firework festival. He found out that it is very difficult to book hotels now because of the shortage of rooms. Some small hotels in the center quoted nearly VND2 million per night while the normal price was only VND400,000 ($20).

Nam says that it is better to book rooms in Hue or Hoi An and then take taxi to Da nang to see fireworks.

“I called some hotels in Hue and Hoi An. They told me that they had only several unoccupied rooms and advised me to book rooms as soon as possible,” Nam says.

Hotels along the Han River, Da nang, reported to be fully occupied on April 18. Some hotels on Pham Van Dong road and along My Khe beach have some unoccupied rooms but the prices have been raised at least two times.

Besides the shortage of hotel rooms, the overload of restaurants and tourist sites in Da nang is also a matter for tourists who are going to Da nang the upcoming holiday (April 30 - May 1).

Mr. Nguyen Duc Quynh, deputy director of Furama Da nang Hotel, says that Da nang used to draw large numbers of visitors during the April 30/May 1 holiday. Since the firework festival was held, shortage of hotels and services has become serious and tourists have suffered.

He suggests that Da nang should organize the firework festival on April 26-27, instead of April 29-30 to better attract and serve visitors.

Workers are building stages for the firework show.

Mr. Huynh Van Nhon, deputy director of the Da nang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, says that Da nang has 276 hotels from one to five stars, 172 inns and ten guest houses, totaling nearly 12,000 rooms. The city government has asked hotels and inns to not raise room prices by over 30 percent over the normal days.

Nhon says that the department’s inspectors will check hotels on April 29-30. Visitors can report the increase of hotel room prices and service prices to inspectors through the phone number 0511.3812340.

“If visitors have sufficient evidence, we will punish violating hotels and service providers. We will not let several hotels break the rules and affect the goal of building Da nang’s tourism brand,” the official affirms.

So far, three hotels and one travel firm have been fined for raising prices, totaling VND31 million ($1,500).

Source: VNN